Monday, May 31, 2010

Today I had a post-production (the Summer 2010 issue of urbanbaby & toddler has just come out!) migraine and laid down on my bed for a little while in the middle of the day. My 5-year-old daughter came in a few minutes after I'd laid down, proclaiming that she would make me feel better. She stepped out for a while and came back in saying, "Mommy, I made you a snack that will make you feel better!" And with great pride, she presented to me with, "Ta-da! It's mushed banana and sliced zucchini salad!"

"Oh... thank you, sweetie," I replied. "It looks so delicious."

"Are you going to eat it now, Mommy? I made it myself. It will make you feel better!" she chattered. "Go ahead, eat it!"

Not only did I eat it, I ate it with gusto. It was certainly the most eclectic meal I've ever eaten and not exactly pleasing to my palate, to be sure. But it filled my heart in a way that no other meal ever has or could.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Ugh, I feel terrible. I was on an angry phone rampage with Telus this afternoon (over bad customer service -- it's a long story) when my son knocked on my home office door. I thought it was him doing his regular "interrupt Mommy while she's working" thing with an "emergency" (sometimes, his "emergency" is that he "needs popcorn right away because he's starving" or that he "has to tell me what he wants for hotdog day next week"), and I, being in no mood to humour him just then, snapped, "Go upstairs and stop bothering Mommy. I'm on the phone!"

I heard nothing for about 30 seconds and then, whimpering by the door. Exasperated, I opened my door--phone to my ear, still hashing it out with Telus--to see what was the matter, and saw him crying outside my door clutching the Mother's Day present he'd made for me at school.

I feel pretty terrible. Because I snapped at him when I was clearly upset with Telus not him, and because I did it when he was trying to give me a present for being such a great mom! It was a bag of homemade granola and a beautiful handmade card and bookmark.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

I recently had the chance to speak with Kurt Browning, one of Canada's favourite figure skating champions. He will be skating along with a star-studded cast including Sale and Pelletier, Virtue and Moir, Joannie Rochette and Jeffrey Buttle in the upcoming Stars On Ice show. He took some time out of his busy schedule to give us a glimpse into his life as a professional figure skater and father of two.

What kinds of things can we expect to see on Stars on Ice Show upcoming?It's a collection of just the best of the best as far competitive skating. There is exceptional talent. Very exciting. The group members make it exciting and allow skaters' personalities come through.

How long will you be away on the road with Stars on Ice?I'll be away from home for 2-1/2 months intermittently.

How do you stay connected to your kids (now two and six years old) when you're working away from home?They're two kids who are used to be me being gone so it's not such a huge thing. The trouble is [my son is] six years old now and feeling a little like he wants Dad around to do things with. It's hard, but I do want to capitalize on the time I have left on the ice.

How would you describe yourself as a dad?I'm dangerously on the edge being dad and friend. Sometimes, my son doesn't know when I'm joking or when I'm being serious. But I want to be a leader. They need to know that the people taking care of them are serious about taking care of them. Definitely, I need to be a parent first.

Does anyone help you and your wife take care of the kids?Our nanny, Luci, takes care of kids. Without her, we probably couldn't do it.

Do you have time with your wife as a couple?The reality is she gets home around 7 pm almost every night and leaves house at 8. And I'm away with Stars on Ice. So it's hard to find that time.

What's your guilty pleasure?It's "Lost." My wife and I watch it and try to tape it and watch it before the next one.

What's your family day look like?We don't really know what that is. We're both so busy working. But we do go to the lake in the summer, which we really enjoy, and in the city, we go to the Science Centre, which the kids love.

Will you have more kids?We're done. Our jobs are so all-encompassing, and take so much time. Plus I'm in physiotherapy almost all the time trying to maintain my skating career.

After skating, what's the plan?I'm going to try to learn Spanish so that I can speak with the rest of my family. My wife speaks Spanish and we're working on getting our children fluent.

Canadians really love you. Why do you think that is? I had a long extended amateur career with lots of ups and downs. That gave people a chance to connect with me -- they feel for me, they got to know me..it's a sport that can make people feel like they know you. And I like people, meeting them, and I love entertainment. It's a nice relationship I have with the fans. They're forgiving and trusting.

Stars On Ice comes to Vancouver's GM Place on Friday, May 14. For tickets, visit www.starsonice.ca.